(09-05) 08:20 PDT SACRAMENTO -- There were no YouTube moments, crazy sound bites or eye-popping gimmicks, but the California gubernatorial debate between Republican Neel Kashkari and Gov. Jerry Brown had plenty of passion and substance about the Golden State's future.

Kashkari - the guy who spent $2 million of his own money to grab a spot in the November election - repeatedly tried to paint himself as an average guy standing up for the middle class, while portraying the three-term governor as a child of privilege and wealth.

And Brown, who runs the world's eighth-largest economy, made it sound like the GOP candidate was Mr. Goldman Sachs, dropping the investment firm's name repeatedly. Never mind that his sister, Kathleen Brown, worked for the firm.

Brown generally had better sound bites, and more of them. (Sadly, none in Latin this time.)

But Kashkari was ferociously scrappy, well-prepared and unafraid to challenge the governor, often heatedly.

Brown accused Kashkari of talking California down, while the Republican slammed Brown for failing to deliver real benefits to the bulk of Californians and turning his back on the state's kids.

He looked close several times to getting under Brown's skin with that approach - but he never landed a real solid uppercut on the Democrat, who's been in this ring so many times before.

The Kashkari campaign put out a slew of press releases throughout the debate, claiming victory and accusing Brown of showing his "crony capitalism." But as Brown himself said during the broadcast, "Things don't get done with a press release."

With the latest Field Poll numbers showing Brown ahead of Kashkari by 50-34 percent, the #CADebate scorecard gives Brown the TKO.

Some of the highlights and lowlights:

*Best Sound Bite: Brown, asked about Kashkari's characterization of his high-speed rail plan as the "crazy train," sniped, "He's more familiar with the gravy train back in Washington." Kashkari had a good comeback, saying Brown was pursuing a pricey "vanity project."

*Best Use of a Court Decision: Kashkari wasted no time raising a Los Angeles judge's decision declaring the state's teacher tenure rules unconstitutional, and lambasted Brown's administration for appealing it. "You had a choice" between siding with kids and with "union bosses," Kashkari said. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

*Best Use of Goldman Sachs: Brown went to town with Kashkari's work history at the firm. "It follows, from your buddies to your bonuses at Goldman Sachs," Brown goaded. Later he told Kashkari that "you learned your job well at Goldman Sachs" and from the rest of the people "who wrecked the economy."

*The "I'm Just Like You" Award: Kashkari's "I didn't come from a rich, powerful family," and "My dad wasn't governor. ... I grew up mowing lawns and bagging groceries." No, his dad wasn't governor, just a mere college professor.

*The California Comeback Award: "Four years ago, the place was in shambles," Brown said of the Golden State. But today, "we've got momentum." Kashkari begged to differ, saying that whether it was "Tesla or Toyota," Brown "hasn't done the work" to keep jobs in California.

As for the final spin, Kashkari, in a tweet by the Los Angeles Times' Paige St. John, was quoted as saying: "When you knock out the heavyweight champ, the heavyweight champ usually gets a rematch."

Brown put a lid on that quickly, pointedly telling moderator John Myers that their "differences" had been aired sufficiently, thank you. In other words, "I'm going back to work - in the governor's office."